I don’t know where to post this.
I’m not looking for advice, I just need to let off some major steam with a hugely moany rant.
It’s bad enough being diagnosed with Parkinsons and all the horrible things happening to my body, not to mention being shunned and treated like a social pariah, as well as struggling on my own because of living in a remote area, but now I’ve been forced to move to a new GP practice which is near impossible for me to get to, and their surgery rules regarding ordering medications are so tight I am struggling to order my repeat prescriptions.
The practice where I was registered for the last 67 years closed in November 2024. Over 4,000 patients were redistributed between three other practices and I was placed with one in the next village, about 4 miles away just off the main road.
Getting an appointment is not easy because
I do not drive.
I live 3/4 mile from the bus stop which takes me forever to reach at a snails pace with my rollator.
Even if the bus wasn’t so far away, there is a two hour wait for a return bus and there are no cafes near the practice to sit and wait for two hours, just a “plastic” bus shelter.
I have great difficulty getting in and out of most cars. No one wants to put my rollator in their boot, and I have no family to help me.
There is Country Cars, but {see 4 above} plus they only have one driver covering the area, and coordinating his availability with booking an appointment is impossible.
There is only one local taxi, again it’s a coordination problem, also it costs in excess of £30 round trip.
Putting in a Repeat Prescription Request
Previously, I was using My Health Online, or I could telephone it in to the surgery.
Now I am struggling because:
The new practice does not use My Health Online and expects me to use an NHS App which I am unable to do because
1a} it requires biometric facial recognition for which they require a British Passport or Driver’s Licence {I have neither}, and
1b} it requires a Smartphone {do not have}
They do not permit you to phone your request
You may post your repeat forms to them, but our postal service is shonky at best
You may drop the forms off in the drop box provided in the surgery reception {see "traveling to appointments " as outlined above}
They can be dropped off at the local pharmacy, but I struggle to walk that far, especially in bad weather.
I could ask someone to drop them off for me, but the major issue I have
with this is the hospital is constantly tweaking my dosages, and getting this communicated to the receptionists is a nightmare, partly because they never listen or get it correct, and partly because all they want to do is bitch at me for telephoning. In the last ten days I have made 17 phone calls because they kept dropping the ball resulting in the pharmacy ordering the wrong items or dosages.
There was a mix up yet again yesterday and the pharmacy assistant said the only way it can be sorted out is if I either go to the surgery in person or phone them in the morning. Yippee!
Please don’t suggest I phone the help line. I already did and was not treated well, simply told that’s how it is all over the country.
Thank you for listening, like I said just a hugely moany rant I needed to get off my chest.
Hiya,
I hope you feel little better after letting off some steam. I get it totally…Its the constant having to explain again and again and people have just become so hard in general that they dont help like they used to.
Where in the world are you? If you were close to me Id be happy to help in any way I can. Im in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Id say sending hugs but Ive a feeling alcohol may be more appropriate!
Very Best Wishes
Beth
Good morning Artgreek … Firstly that is a very good rant. Well put together & very clear.
You obviously still have all your marbles.
My first thought is that you should move home, Where you live now does not work for you & as you get older things are not going to get any easier. Do think about it.
I live on my own in a ground floor flat that is quite close to everything.
I have Parkinson’s & Spinal Stenosis & trouble to walk. Having to take my prescription into the Gp’s and waiting in queues is incredibly difficult.
I have just started using them and have so far found them excellent. You can tweak your medication requests easily.
I have just bought a smartphone from Amazon for £85 & it is excellent & has changed my life for the better. It works from my home internet. I also use 1pmobile as a provider which is really cheap.
Hiya, me again…Just wondering if you are in receipt of PIP and if so are you in the high bracket for mobility?
If so you could use that to get yourself a mobility scooter through PIP. They do some road scooters that have good battery power so can easily cover an 8 mile round trip…just a thought.
Best Wishes
Beth
Hi Steve2
Thank you! Some days I think I’ve got someone else’s marbles.
Moving is not an option. I was thinking about it pre pandemic as little by little we are losing all our services {3 banks, Post Office, police station, GP etc} and have to travel up to 60 miles to our nearest bank, not to mention being sent all over mid and south Wales to hospital appointments. Everything here is now geared for the wealthier tourist not the people who live here year round, but I live in a house that was built by my late father and frankly could not face up to the upheaval or stress of buying a new place. When I move out, it will be to go into care.
I agree, walking and standing in queues is painful and people just don’t understand. They also don’t understand that I cannot simply hop out of their way, or that things like their dog on a lead jumping up at me could knock me over. I know you will understand there is a long list of such hazards out there.
I will check out the online service, but we have many problems with our postal deliveries. I have missing or incorrectly delivered post at least once a week!
I don’t know what to say about a smartphone. I feel like my purse has become a bottomless pit streaming out my savings on all kinds of things to make my life either easier or more comfortable.
I hate being a moaner, and if I was fit and well these issues would still be there but would be minor inconveniences, not major obstacles to overcome.
Thanks for your input, I will think about what you’ve said carefully.
Yes, I am, and I have been considering some sort of mobility scooter but have been put off by the generally poor state of the road surfaces in and around the village. I would definitely not want to even think about an 8 mile round trip given the kind of weather we get during winter with constant driving rain and most days the wind speed is around 25mph. It is very hilly here and people on scooters often run out of juice! With narrow, twisty roads with high hedges and speeding traffic, I don’t think I’d even want to think about a scooter outside of the village centre. There are quite a few around, but you seldom see them on the main road into town.
Thanks for the suggestion, I should look into it to see if it becomes a viable option.
Hello Artgeek
First of all you came to exactly the right place to have a rant. It is much better to say your piece and get it into the open than let it fester by keeping it all inside. Sp come back whenever you feel the need.
Clearly you have to deal with a whole raft of problems and it is difficult to know what we can realistically offer that will make much difference but it is gratifying to see you have had some replies of support with some attempts made which may possibly make a difference. I hope this, if nothing else has left you feeling a bit more supported and knowing absolutely that you are not a;one - and it’s good to know you still have your sense of humour ie the single malt lol.
It seems to me that quite a lot of your issues stem from where you live which sounds like it is a lovely but rural part of Wales. Steve2 has suggested you might consider moving - which is a perfectly valid course of action and one that you have thought about and discarded for what to some may seem trite reasoning. However the sentimental attachment you have to the house is worth much and probably plays its part in keeping you going as it holds so many memories and even, in a way, may keep those close who are no longer with you - and that can be a huge comfort. It is also well known that moving is one of the most stressful things a person can do so it is entirely understandable when you say you can’t face it. Since you have made that decision you need to file it away and get on with coping with what you’ve got. Having said that there is no harm in having it in the background, keeping a general eye on what’s about and keeping an open mind - there may be something out there that is worth a serious look.
For niw however, we will just say moving is not an option. So where does that leave you, well I can’t offer you much but maybe the following will give you something to think about and perhaps give rise to some ideas you haven’t thought of.
First have you had an assessment by Adult Care Services at your local council. It may be they can offer something that will help you.
Second in a lot of area there is a volunteer bureau and if there is one somewhere near you or contactable by phone to see if their is an agency that could provide a volunteer to do some of those jobs ypu find hard, run errands for you or maybe even give you a lift - providing the car is one you could get in and out with with relative ease.
Most hospitals have a transport service for patients who can’t get to their hospital appointments by public transport or any othre means and they will use a form of transport you can use - for example, if you can’t get in a car they have patient transport ambulances. I use the hospital transport system when I have to go to an appointment in London and it is worth it for the door to door service it gives - there are a few things worth knowing - you usually have to be ready 2-3 hours before your appointment depending on where you fit on that day’s list but it may meanung you are just sitting and waiting for a couple of hours. Also there can be a wait for the return journey so it can be quite a long and tiring day but I think it’s worth it. Incidentally there is no charge if you are eligible for the service.
Finally, it is not absolutely clear whether or not you are on the internet. If you are I don’t think it is necessarily vital to have a smart phone as you can do everything online at home. Realistically however with the way life is these days and even landline going digital in the next year or two, it is probably worth getting one as a lot of companies keep you up to date with texts these days, including the NHS. There is also a widespread belief these days that we all have them I have one but I don’t use it as my primary contact number in actual fact it spends most of the time in my bag because I don’t think about it, but it can be useful. It doesn’t have to be expensive - look at refurbished phones and there are often good offers for new customers so chances are you would be able to pick up a deal that is relatively inexpensive. I know I would be far less independent if I didn’t use the internet and it certainly helps to keep me going largely independently which is what I want.
I hope something in what I have written strikes a chord and maybe helps you to see ways you can perhaps do things a little differently that may make life a little easier for you.
Let us know how you’re getting on when you feel so inclined.
Best wishes.
Tot
Excuse any missed typos - it’s turned into quite a long post and I haven’t the energy to proof read but hopefully you will be able to make sense of it anyway.
Thank you for understanding why moving is not an option, at least not right now. Oddly enough, before the Pandemic I was totally up for it, but things changed when Mum died. I was shocked at how trinkets that she kept and which I abhorred suddenly became treasured heirlooms.
I have been assessed and spoken to by so many services now my head is spinning. Some offer contradictory advice, some just refer you to someone else, and as for how out of date the lists of contacts I’ve been given are is laughable.
We have a “befrienders” group locally, maybe that should be a non functional befrienders group. The “help” I have received from them is two Christmas cards and two visits by a volunteer to help tidy my garden which resulted in him ripping out my Mum’s precious roses, and overloading the garden waste bin so that the council refused to collect it.
Our hospital transport has just reduced it’s services. You have to apply by way of an online questionnaire and if you don’t achieve the right number of ticks you are not eligible. I don’t tick enough boxes so I don’t qualify.
Don’t talk about landlines going digital, mine has not worked properly since they forced the change on me. I am not the only one who has had a problem with digital voice.
I do have a mobile, just not a smartphone.
Don’t worry about typos, I use a Dictaphone and spend more time fixing what it thinks I said than the worth of it!
Hi Artgeek Medication you can have a word with the chemist who does your px, ask them if they will order for you when meds are due and most chemist do deliver, your GP can not stop you from getting your meds refer to Parkinsons leaflet Get your meds on time, do have a word with the GP manager put the ball in his/her court but be clam when speaking to them but get straight to the point, and mention about getting your drugs on time. Hospital transport why you can not get it I just don’t know? do try again or get the receptionest at the GPs to order it for you, when you phone hospital transport (when you get your appointment letter on the back there is a telephone number tell them that your condition can change from hour to hour) ex some times i can walk but sometimes i shuffle ect do let us know how you get on
One of the best pieces of advice we had from the Parkinson’s nurse was to get my husband registered as housebound. This means GP home visits and districte nurse visits. Even if you are able to get out you can argue that it requires much effort - for example you have to use a mobility aid. Definately push for that.
You can also access the NHS app on a normal internet browser on your computer or laptop - you don’t have to use it on a phone. Go to this link to register and login NHS App
I will look into registering as housebound. However, I just tried to use the link you kindly provided for the NHS App, it is not available in Wales. It directs me to My Health Online which I used to use but that is also no longer available as of last month.
Mary1947 Thank you. I have spoken to the pharmacist, various receptionists, the practice manager, a GP and PN and remained both calm and succinct as humanly possible. I am hoping it is now resolved. As for transport, I have requested assistance but apparently one has to apply for oneself. I am being declined on the grounds that I do not require medical attention or oxygen during the journey.
Hi Artgeek, you are most welcome to come here and vent your frustrations.
You mentioned that you phoned the helpline and didn’t receive the help and support you were looking for. I just wanted to follow this up to say this is not the service we aim to deliver and am deeply sorry this is the experience you had. We take feedback very seriously and will be sure to pass this on to the team for further investigation.
Thank you for coming to the forum, and we’re pleased many members of the community have been able to provide their help and support.
